Another masked member of ETA speaking to a camera, another message to the Spanish government calling for talks and lamenting the deaths of fellow terrorists. And yet this time, it was different. ETA’s announcement on Thursday of the abandonment of its four-decade campaign of violence has been warmly welcomed by the Socialist government, by opposition leader Mariano Rajoy and by observers and analysts who have followed the Basque situation closely. Strangely though, the declaration sounds like only a small advance from previous announcements made by the group and which were widely dismissed as ploys or timid cop-outs. This week’s “definitive end” to the group’s “armed activity” follows … [Read more...] about The end of ETA violence offers Spain’s cynical politicos a fresh start
spanish politics
Spain’s greatest export: protest and outrage
El País newspaper’s decision to put its coverage of the October 15 (or “15-O”) global protests on its “National” pages, rather than in the “International” section may have looked at first glance like a heinous editing error, but it was in fact a telling decision. Spain’s own indignados protesters, who have been clamouring for economic and political change since May 15, are claiming the credit for the demonstrations held in around 1,000 cities and 80 countries worldwide at the weekend. This may sound fanciful, but, amazingly, it is close to the truth. When the indignados occupied Puerta del Sol in central Madrid during Spain’s local election campaign, it was clearly a new phenomenon for … [Read more...] about Spain’s greatest export: protest and outrage
Bilingual schooling obsession is gambling with children’s future
At the beginning of this school year, a mother commented to me that she had moved her daughter from one public school in Madrid to another in the same neighbourhood. When I asked why, she said it was because of the bilingual schools project that Esperanza Aguirre, president of Madrid's regional government, has created, which entails teaching 40-50 percent of the school curriculum in English, except mathematics and Spanish language. I was surprised to find out that in fact this mother had changed her daughter from a school that was about to enter the bilingual project to a school that had no intention of doing so. In a country that is so preoccupied with getting a grasp of the English … [Read more...] about Bilingual schooling obsession is gambling with children’s future
Moldovan rage over Spain’s “ineffective approach” to separatism
Officials from the Eastern European nation of Moldova were enraged in 2007 by Spain’s decision to issue a visa to a representative of a renegade breakaway republic, and even threatened to walk out of a ministerial meeting in Madrid. The United States, which was drawn into the controversy, was able to calm the Moldovan delegation’s diplomatic discomfort but privately criticised the Zapatero administration for showing an “ineffective approach” in trying to resolve the ongoing conflict between Moldova and the separatist communist government of Transdniestria. Details of the incident are contained in a confidential US Embassy cable sent from the Moldovan capital Chisinau and released … [Read more...] about Moldovan rage over Spain’s “ineffective approach” to separatism
Spain’s Socialists scuttle the ship
The legislature is limping to a close. Since José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's conversion to market orthodoxy in the spring of 2010, the prime minister has made no secret of the fact that his sole obsession is to sail the Spanish ship clear of the turbulent waters of a bailout, and he seems set to succeed. But his government's final manoeuvres have unfortunately had the effect of scuttling the lifeboat of Socialism driven by the party's chosen candidate for the November 20 elections. Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba is an able seaman, but he is navigating into an electoral storm made even worse by the last acts of his former Cabinet colleagues. First came the tawdry deal with the Popular Party (PP) … [Read more...] about Spain’s Socialists scuttle the ship
Tweets and gaffes confuse Madrid’s education debate
Esperanza Aguirre, President of the Region of Madrid, has had to use Twitter twice this month to remove her foot from her mouth. The first mix-up was on September 1, when she suggested that secondary teachers in Madrid only worked 20 hours a week, “much less than most Madrileños,” she claimed. Aguirre had previously made a rather sloppy attempt at communicating her decision to try to save €80 million for the region by sending a letter to affected civil servants with spelling mistakes. The letter, which stated that secondary teachers would have to increase weekly class hours from 18 to 20, angered educators, who claimed that more teaching hours and fewer interns (approximately 3,000) would … [Read more...] about Tweets and gaffes confuse Madrid’s education debate
Who’s in charge in Spain?
Question: Who is the leader of the PSOE? Answer: Now, I am. The leader of the PSOE, the leader of a party, is whomever it presents as a candidate at general elections. Question: I’d say that the leader of a party is whoever is in charge. Who’s in charge of the PSOE? Answer: In the Socialist Party, I’m in charge. Question: If you are the leader of the party that supports Zapatero in Parliament, one would suppose that he would consult you on major issues. Answer: One would suppose that. The above is a translated excerpt from the interview published on Sunday that El País editor Javier Moreno carried out with Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, the Socialist (PSOE) candidate in the … [Read more...] about Who’s in charge in Spain?
Truth is the casualty as Spain’s campaign heats up
The last few days haven’t been good ones for truth and accuracy on Spain’s political scene. In fact, for those who follow the news closely, it’s been downright confusing. Popular Party (PP) spokesman Esteban González Pons should shoulder at least some of the blame, after sheepishly backtracking on a pledge, made on September 7, that his party would create 3.5 million jobs over the next four years if it wins the November 20 general election. It was a target that meant slashing Spain’s unemployment rate by 70 percent. 3.5 million? Of course not, González Pons said the next day, after PP apparatchiks were left scrambling to make sense of his boast. What he meant to say, he explained, was … [Read more...] about Truth is the casualty as Spain’s campaign heats up
Fear and resignation in Spain’s deficit cap
A swiftly agreed, bi-party accord to safeguard the Spanish economy’s future. It should be music to every Spaniard’s ears. The governing Socialists and opposition Popular Party have finally reached consensus on a major issue, putting aside their ideological differences and petty electoral interests to introduce a constitutional reform that puts a cap on the public deficit. Such statesmanship harks back to the spirit of the Transition. Or does it? Having heeded the plea by the French and German leaders for deficit controls to be enshrined in eurozone magna cartas, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Mariano Rajoy have responded. This extraordinary measure, they argue, will calm the jittery … [Read more...] about Fear and resignation in Spain’s deficit cap
World Youth Day: Between faith and criticism
The most serious criticism is not aimed at the young pilgrims who came to the Spanish capital to “display their faith” but rather at the planning, organization and financing of a “mass religious event” which could have been done at lower cost, with less religious aims, with less participation of the public sector, without the presence of ethically questionable companies and with the aim of addressing more closely the problems that affect Spanish society and the world today. Although the degree of self-financing of the event was significant it is sensible to ask the Catholic organizations involved to think about how they organize such gatherings. In most cases, there are things that could be … [Read more...] about World Youth Day: Between faith and criticism